Never Disappointed With A Floribunda Order!

[Jim in Los Altos]

Got my annual order of palms from Floibunda today and the plants exceeded my expectations as usual. Experimenting with some new (to me) species besides some that have already done well and I’m repeating them in the landscape. 
 

 

 

 

[WaianaeCrider]

I use to order a couple of hundred dollars worth a year....but the Coconut Rhinosaurus Beetle as me not buying anything new for 2 years.

[happypalms]

Nice one Jim, if I could order from there omg palM Mecca some good stuff in there! I know the feeling. 

[PlantMorePalms]

Jim, have you already had success with those Basselinia species or are they new for you? I got a velutina to try as well, my B. eriostachys has been in the ground for a couple of years and does pretty well here.

 

[Harry’s Palms]

Nice haul , Jim. Looking forward to updates on these. Harry

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 hour ago, PlantMorePalms said:

Jim, have you already had success with those Basselinia species or are they new for you? I got a velutina to try as well, my B. eriostachys has been in the ground for a couple of years and does pretty well here.

 

Trevor, The Basselinia palms are all new to my garden. So good to see success in your SF garden with B. eriostachys. Looks great! 

[gyuseppe]

Floribunda always has chamaedorea species at good prices, but I can't buy them, customs would seize everything

[Harry’s Palms]

@gyuseppe I have never bought from Floribunda but , you’re right , they have good prices and an excellent reputation. I have bought from other growers on the islands when I was there and not had a problem bringing them back to the mainland with nematode certs. I guess it is different in your country. Harry

[gyuseppe]

Harry When plants enter the European Union they put them in quarantine, and who waters them? No one

[flplantguy]

They probably keep them in the box on a shelf🙄.  All the orders i have done from floribunda have been high quality plants, its such a shame they would kill them through stupidity when they would be fine if cared for

[Jonathan Haycock]

That’s the “fine wine” of palm orders right there Jim. Some delights from New Caledonia. Heterospathe delicatula is one I’ve been keeping an eye on for some time (some day hopefully). There is one growing in Mt. Coot-Tha BG (Brisbane), which always catches my eye with its vibrant new red leaf

[Darold Petty]

All my orders from Jeff have been better than advertised.  I have received "1-gallon"  Chamaedorea ernesti-augustii with emergent, true stem and flowerstalks.

[flplantguy]

2 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

All my orders from Jeff have been better than advertised.  I have received "1-gallon"  Chamaedorea ernesti-augustii with emergent, true stem and flowerstalks.

Mine too, you cant go wrong with them.  Its a shame they can't sell all over the world anymore without major issues.  Other places tend to have an annoying quirk about their operation that you have to deal with, the only one from FB (if you can call it that) is the soil drains fast so dry areas have to water more. I like to water so its a no brainer for me lol. 

[Darold Petty]

37 minutes ago, flplantguy said:

 the soil drains fast so dry areas have to water more. I like to water so its a no brainer for me lol. 

I shake off Jeff's lava rock medium and replant with my own more water retentive mix.  

[Jim in Los Altos]

4 hours ago, flplantguy said:

Mine too, you cant go wrong with them.  Its a shame they can't sell all over the world anymore without major issues.  Other places tend to have an annoying quirk about their operation that you have to deal with, the only one from FB (if you can call it that) is the soil drains fast so dry areas have to water more. I like to water so its a no brainer for me lol. 

In my photos, all my new palms are already repotted with a more water retentive mix. I leave some of the lava soil intact just because I don’t want to disturb the root balls. One gallons went into two gallon planter bags. Most 4” palms went into one gallon containers. I likely will have a few of the bigger ones in the ground by mid-summer however.  

[Harry’s Palms]

I usually plant stuff in the ground soon after getting them . I may keep a few in pots for a while depending on time of year and type of palm. The three different Dypsis I got last year plus the Rhopalostylus Bauri Cheesmania started growing as soon as they hit the dirt. I planted the ones I picked up in Maui many years ago and they lingered a while but they were small and kicked in after a couple years . My climate seems to be good for many varieties . Harry

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 hour ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I usually plant stuff in the ground soon after getting them . I may keep a few in pots for a while depending on time of year and type of palm. The three different Dypsis I got last year plus the Rhopalostylus Bauri Cheesmania started growing as soon as they hit the dirt. I planted the ones I picked up in Maui many years ago and they lingered a while but they were small and kicked in after a couple years . My climate seems to be good for many varieties . Harry

I went ahead and planted the Burretiokentia vieillardi today. I knew it would be going next to its B. kogeinsis and B. dumasii brethren that have been in the ground almost two years. Some others will go in the ground in the summer, when I’ve decided where to plant them. It’s not easy in my garden because it’s densely planted already in most areas.

[mnorell]

Jim, I just want to warn you the that Jeff's "highland" Hydriastele pinangoides has bombed out on me two winters in a row down here in Palm Springs. I'm pretty sure it was the cold, and not any other factor, that killed them. I believe both times they were in pots rather than in the ground so that could easily have caused a problem if the roots are super sensitive and perhaps they may have survived in the warmer ground. Of course we generally don't know exactly what we may be doing "wrong" culturally or if it is just Mother Nature telling us that we should move on to another test subject...but just a heads-up that you may want to give that one a very favored spot and extra TLC.

I usually don't give up on plants before trying multiple times under different conditions, because I have been surprised sometimes on the third, fourth or even fifth try when suddenly I get it right with exposure, sun/shade, watering, etc., and a palm will quite amazingly survive. I lost a 4" Neoveitchia storckii in the ground a year ago after winter but tried again with two more 4" plants from Floribunda, and left them sitting in their pots, and they came through the winter in pretty good shape. I also had a Hydriastele beguinii 'Obi Island' come through winter in a pot in pretty good shape and you could have knocked me over with a feather on that one, as I was pretty sure the outcome would be grim, so there are happy surprises out there! But of course even then we don't know, how many times did something seem like it was doing so well and pushing forward, and then one day you look down at it and it has collapsed with no explanation...

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 hour ago, mnorell said:

Jim, I just want to warn you the that Jeff's "highland" Hydriastele pinangoides has bombed out on me two winters in a row down here in Palm Springs. I'm pretty sure it was the cold, and not any other factor, that killed them. I believe both times they were in pots rather than in the ground so that could easily have caused a problem if the roots are super sensitive and perhaps they may have survived in the warmer ground. Of course we generally don't know exactly what we may be doing "wrong" culturally or if it is just Mother Nature telling us that we should move on to another test subject...but just a heads-up that you may want to give that one a very favored spot and extra TLC.

I usually don't give up on plants before trying multiple times under different conditions, because I have been surprised sometimes on the third, fourth or even fifth try when suddenly I get it right with exposure, sun/shade, watering, etc., and a palm will quite amazingly survive. I lost a 4" Neoveitchia storckii in the ground a year ago after winter but tried again with two more 4" plants from Floribunda, and left them sitting in their pots, and they came through the winter in pretty good shape. I also had a Hydriastele beguinii 'Obi Island' come through winter in a pot in pretty good shape and you could have knocked me over with a feather on that one, as I was pretty sure the outcome would be grim, so there are happy surprises out there! But of course even then we don't know, how many times did something seem like it was doing so well and pushing forward, and then one day you look down at it and it has collapsed with no explanation...

Thanks for the heads up. I have two of them to take a chance with. I’ll get them in the ground this summer. 

[kylecawazafla]

1 hour ago, mnorell said:

Jim, I just want to warn you the that Jeff's "highland" Hydriastele pinangoides has bombed out on me two winters in a row down here in Palm Springs. I'm pretty sure it was the cold, and not any other factor, that killed them. I believe both times they were in pots rather than in the ground so that could easily have caused a problem if the roots are super sensitive and perhaps they may have survived in the warmer ground. Of course we generally don't know exactly what we may be doing "wrong" culturally or if it is just Mother Nature telling us that we should move on to another test subject...but just a heads-up that you may want to give that one a very favored spot and extra TLC.

I usually don't give up on plants before trying multiple times under different conditions, because I have been surprised sometimes on the third, fourth or even fifth try when suddenly I get it right with exposure, sun/shade, watering, etc., and a palm will quite amazingly survive. I lost a 4" Neoveitchia storckii in the ground a year ago after winter but tried again with two more 4" plants from Floribunda, and left them sitting in their pots, and they came through the winter in pretty good shape. I also had a Hydriastele beguinii 'Obi Island' come through winter in a pot in pretty good shape and you could have knocked me over with a feather on that one, as I was pretty sure the outcome would be grim, so there are happy surprises out there! But of course even then we don't know, how many times did something seem like it was doing so well and pushing forward, and then one day you look down at it and it has collapsed with no explanation...

 

I tried Hydriastele beguinii "Obi Island" in El Centro (only one) in a tiny courtyard surrounded on all 4 sides by 30 foot walls and it died by January  I don't really live in El Centro full time, however, so the palms I plant at my work get a lot of neglect and they tend to ALWAYS shut off the water for "construction" reasons right after I do a planting, which is SUPER annoying, because they always die (this just happened for the like Nth time earlier this week when I got back from Hawaii), but I still have some pleasant surprises! My surprises so far have been Elais guineensis, Dictyosperma album, and Hyophorbe lagenicaulis. 

[mnorell]

1 minute ago, kylecawazafla said:

 

I tried Hydriastele beguinii "Obi Island" in El Centro (only one) in a tiny courtyard surrounded on all 4 sides by 30 foot walls and it died by January  I don't really live in El Centro full time, however, so the palms I plant at my work get a lot of neglect and they tend to ALWAYS shut off the water for "construction" reasons right after I do a planting, which is SUPER annoying, because they always die (this just happened for the like Nth time earlier this week when I got back from Hawaii), but I still have some pleasant surprises! My surprises so far have been Elais guineensis, Dictyosperma album, and Hyophorbe lagenicaulis. 

Kyle, mine was sitting all winter in an orchid net-pot in a very coarse medium (basically a chunky orchid/aroid mix) under my big Talipariti tiliaceum tree and it just looked fine the whole time. (Got a little sunburned a few days ago in our latest heat-wave but it's still okay.) So it could be the medium and the ability to warm the roots a little more in winter, plus the dappled sun it got there...it is a basically south-facing position. Therefore hard to say. I find Hydriastele very difficult to figure out. I used to grow a few species (memorably to me, H. pinangoides, H. dransfieldii and H. kasesa) in the Keys and so have wanted to try them here, but I really haven't trialed but a couple of them so far.

But don't give up on 'Obi Island.' Try the open mix, dappled shade and general southern exposure in winter...not sure if you can get that exposure at the hospital but I now know this species is capable of surviving a winter in the right conditions, so keep fiddling if you like the plant. Of course you're able to enjoy these regularly in Hawai'i so maybe it's not worth the effort considering the watering "restrictions" that keep being placed on your poor plants!

[kylecawazafla]

Thanks for the update! I thought it was for sure a no-go, since it died so soon, however I don't have access to the courtyard, so it's possible they had just shut off the water. I also tried a Phoenicophorium (after being inspired by seeing them growing on solid rock in the most exposed and hot western facing cliffs of the seychelles) which also died by January. Unfortunately, given that the water is constantly being shut off without warning at my hospital, I try not to experiment with palm trees that are too unusual, because I feel like their likelihood of dying is almost certain. 

Great palm selection, Jim! My parents house in Marin county is a much worse microclimate than yours and unfortunately many palms defoliated this last winter, like Allagoptera caudescens and Pritchardia hillebrandii  

[Jim in Los Altos]

16 minutes ago, kylecawazafla said:

Thanks for the update! I thought it was for sure a no-go, since it died so soon, however I don't have access to the courtyard, so it's possible they had just shut off the water. I also tried a Phoenicophorium (after being inspired by seeing them growing on solid rock in the most exposed and hot western facing cliffs of the seychelles) which also died by January. Unfortunately, given that the water is constantly being shut off without warning at my hospital, I try not to experiment with palm trees that are too unusual, because I feel like their likelihood of dying is almost certain. 

Great palm selection, Jim! My parents house in Marin county is a much worse microclimate than yours and unfortunately many palms defoliated this last winter, like Allagoptera caudescens and Pritchardia hillebrandii  

Oh Kyle, must’ve been a lot colder up in Marin County! I hope those palms make a comeback. 

[Foggy Paul]

Here’s my half of an order with @Darold Petty and my first from Jeff, but not the last. As unboxed (dig that “1 gallon” C. ernesti-augustii); 4 small plants after transfer into more stable and moisture retentive containers (the L. weddelianum is particularly well shaped); the Chamaedorea turned into a house plant; and a R. hildebrandtii planted out directly. Great plants all which I hope will thrive here.

 

[JohnAndSancho]

One day I'll be able to place an order from them. All their plants always look healthy and huge, especially for the price. 

[Rivera]

On 5/23/2025 at 11:46 PM, kylecawazafla said:

Thanks for the update! I thought it was for sure a no-go, since it died so soon, however I don't have access to the courtyard, so it's possible they had just shut off the water. I also tried a Phoenicophorium (after being inspired by seeing them growing on solid rock in the most exposed and hot western facing cliffs of the seychelles) which also died by January. Unfortunately, given that the water is constantly being shut off without warning at my hospital, I try not to experiment with palm trees that are too unusual, because I feel like their likelihood of dying is almost certain. 

Great palm selection, Jim! My parents house in Marin county is a much worse microclimate than yours and unfortunately many palms defoliated this last winter, like Allagoptera caudescens and Pritchardia hillebrandii  

Limited experience here, but Pritchardia hillebrandii seems to require favorable garden placement in Northern California, or within a handful of microclimates close enough to the coast for marine influence but far enough for warmer averages. 

Mine put out a few healthy leaves, then faltered and died (SF, 10b by the water). P minor seems like the best bet of the genus, but I'm not growing it. 

Jim grows a bunch of stuff I would not bother with in my chilly windswept neighborhood, but I also have only been growing palms for a few years. 

[Foggy Paul]

1 hour ago, Rivera said:

Limited experience here, but Pritchardia hillebrandii seems to require favorable garden placement in Northern California

All good, it’s a Ravenea hildebrandtii, although I hope a few hours of afternoon sun isn’t too much for it. PS I took your suggestion and planted a R. glauca last year. It just threw its first new leaf and looks great. 

[realarch]

Good on ya Jim, some nice specimens. I can’t believe you still have room in your stellar garden for the new plants. Looking forward to seeing how the Basselinia progress, some of my favorites. 

Tim

[Rivera]

6 minutes ago, Foggy Paul said:

All good, it’s a Ravenea hildebrandtii, although I hope a few hours of afternoon sun isn’t too much for it. 

Ah, I just read Kyle's post about the Pritchardia in Marin without paying attention to the context here.

I did see your Ravenea, and it's a very attractive palm. Sub-montane to montane rainforest off the coast of Madagascar? - so hopefully a cool-weather lover (or at least "tolerator")! Please keep us updated. Attractive species on the smaller side are always in need for our urban lots. 

[DoomsDave]

Keep us apprised @Jim in Los Altos as yo how things go with Burretiokentia veillardii, especially.

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 hour ago, realarch said:

Good on ya Jim, some nice specimens. I can’t believe you still have room in your stellar garden for the new plants. Looking forward to seeing how the Basselinia progress, some of my favorites. 

Tim

The great thing about palms is that, when they grow skyward, suddenly there’s room in the garden again.  

[Jim in Los Altos]

34 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Keep us apprised @Jim in Los Altos as yo how things go with Burretiokentia veillardii, especially.

I’ll do that Dave. 

[mnorell]

3 hours ago, Foggy Paul said:

All good, it’s a Ravenea hildebrandtii, although I hope a few hours of afternoon sun isn’t too much for it. PS I took your suggestion and planted a R. glauca last year. It just threw its first new leaf and looks great. 

In my haphazard experience here in the Palm Springs area over the last six years, I have had more problems with Ravenea glauca than with R. hildebrandtii. R. glauca has keeled over on me at the end of summer if given too much heat/sun. R. hildebrandtii, at least with decent-sized one-gallon size plants, has done well in some hot sun. I put one in a place where the sun shifted and it accidentally got blasted in a couple of heat-waves, one to 110F a month or so ago. It took that really hot day to yellow one or two of the older leaves. The other larger specimen that I had just received from Jeff Marcus a few months ago was in a more shady area with no issues. I had a number of R. glauca under other palms with northern exposure and those are fine as well, but past experience makes me be very careful with that species here. But I think you needn't be worried about giving R. hildebrandtii too much sun or heat in S.F.!